Winches used to pull or lift heavy loads support a wide range of applications and assume a variety of sizes and types. Electrically-powered winches require a voltage supply to power the winch motor. A vehicle may incorporate a winch and power the winch with the vehicle battery and/or electrical system.
Frequent and excessive operation of the winch may result in an undue demand of current from the electrical supply. The current used by the winch may exceed the current supplied to the battery by a vehicle alternator. Continuous operation of the winch under this condition may cause the battery voltage to decay. Low battery voltage may cause performance issues with the winch or other electromechanical devices in the system. For example, low battery voltage reduces the speed of the winch motor, causing the motor to run for a longer period of time in order to pull a given load. Consequently, more heat is generated in the motor. Additionally, the battery may not be able to provide sufficient voltage to start the vehicle.